Around the Green

The latest golf-related news, notes, and feature stories from the TGA.

94th West Texas Amateur Set for July 15-17

The Old Course at Odessa Country Club will be the host site for the 94th West Texas Amateur, which will be played July 15-17.

Odessa Country Club has a long-standing tradition of supporting the amateur game and has been the venue for numerous TGA championships over the years. The club most recently hosted the 87th West Texas Amateur in 2015, won by Mark Jones Jr., and the 73rd Texas Senior Amateur in 2010, won by John Grace.

“We are thrilled to return to Odessa Country Club, which has been such an integral part of TGA and West Texas Amateur history,” said Chris Untiedt, TGA Senior Tournament Director. “We look forward to working with the club once again and conducting another exciting championship for the best amateur players from around the state.”

The Old Course at Odessa Country Club was built in 1939 by Texas Golf Hall of Fame architect John Bredemus. The par-72 layout, which measures 6,898 yards from the back tees, features an artful mix of left and right doglegs, strategic bunkering, and well-contoured green complexes. When the wind blows, as it frequently does in the High Plains region, Bredemus’ classic design provides a challenging test that places a premium on steady course management and confident shot-making.

The West Texas Amateur features three divisions: Championship, Senior (age 55 and older) and Super Senior (age 65 and older). The starting field limit is 144 players, with 84 spots allotted to the Championship Division, 42 in the Senior Division and 18 for the Super Senior Division. The three divisions compete from different sets of tees and yardages, with separate champions recognized in each division.

The format for the championship is 54-hole individual stroke play. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the lowest 72 scores and ties, with a pro-rated representation from each division.

At last year’s championship, played on the South Course at Abilene Country Club, Garrett Leek of Brock finished at 11-under-par 205 to win the Championship Division by one stroke over Jansen Smith of San Angelo. Mike Booker of Houston carded a blistering 8-under 64 in the second round on his way to winning the Senior Division at 9-under 207. Craig Urban of Abilene ended at 2-over 218 to capture the title in the Super Senior Division.

Live scoring updates and daily recaps from the 94th West Texas Amateur will be available on the TGA website once the action gets underway from Odessa Country Club.